New Warriors #18

This issue begins with Chord running for his life, fear struck deep in his eyes. On the roof top we see a familiar foot, wearing familiar armor. Then we see it, and know it for who it is – Night Thrasher.

Chord makes a break for the door, but as he struggles with the lock, a rope fits around his throat and lifts him up to the ceiling, where he chokes on his life, staring deep into the eyes of Night Thrasher who gives one clear warning. “I am going to find out the truth and if I don’t like it, you’re a dead man, Chord.”

We cut away and see Nova, in his street clothes waiting outside of a less than respectable area. Vance shows up on his motorcycle, wearing his cast. Rich hands him a fake ID, and the two of them enter the Go-Go Bar.

They enter, and sit down. One of the dancers, as Rich explains, is Pretty Persuasions of Psionex. Nova gives her a fair warning about looking over her shoulder because the Warriors were going to be watching her close.

We next see Sil come in and find Night Thrasher upset. He then tells Sil that his entire life may have been a lie.

We cut now to Chord in the car, scheduling the meeting. He then contacts Namorita and Firestar at the hospital and tells them that Night Thrasher may be – or may cause – big trouble.

We cut back to Night Thrasher and Sil, where Night Thrasher reveals looking through the fiscal records of the Taylor Foundation, and finding more than enough questionable records. Night Thrasher then points out how Chord ran to a model shop, and was upset it was closed. Checking the fiscal records, Night Thrasher notices several donations to the model shop. Donning his Night Thrasher armor once again, he and Sil leave to find out just what is inside the model shop.

Night Thrasher’s infrared detects a hidden trap door. Night Thrasher looks around, and gets shot, point blank from the back of the head by a machine gun, and falls into the trap door, where Sil is already checking things. A man, holding a machine gun, stands at the top, looking down. He points out that Thrash’s armor can take a shot point blank (as it did in New Warriors #6 from the Punisher).

Night Thrasher, already recovered, uses the same wire that snared Chord to snare the old man, and yanks him off his feet and into the pit. Hurt by the fall, the man takes a moment to recover, while Thrasher questions him. The man reaches for a crowbar, and manages to surprise Night Thrasher with yet another hit to the head. However, Night Thrasher is quick to recover yet again, and grabs the man’s gun and repeats his question, as to who is putting up the front.

The man says the one word that Thrasher knew he’d hear, but feared. “Chord.”

The other Warriors gather around Chord, down by their base, where Chord explains that Night Thrasher tried to kill him, and shows the scar on his neck. When the Warriors attack Night Thrasher and Sil, Chord opens fire on Night Thrasher, which turns the Warriors against Chord. When Night Thrasher and Sil present evidence that Chord has been using the Taylor Foundation for corrupt purposes since 1982, Chord takes a gun and puts it to his head muttering, “She… I can’t tell… she… she…” then pulls the trigger…

Marvel Boy quickly uses his TK powers to take Chord to a hospital, where they learn he has suffered severe head trauma and may not pull through the night.

They learn that the owner of the foundation that has been dealing with the Taylor Foundation… GIDEON.